Second Time Around
by Dover8
Summary: When Annie moves into Oak Tree Town, she is surprised to find Klaus, the man who broke her heart, after basically having a one night stand with him. She still harbors feelings for him, but what she doesn't know is he holds a resentment for her too. Can they both move past their anger? Or were they doomed from the start? NO LEMONS RATED M JUST IN CASE
1. Chapter 1

Annie maneuvered her car carefully on the old dirt roads. These country roads were made dangerous by the rain. Rain pelted against her windshield making visibility difficult. Driving in rain always reminded her of the one night she wanted to forget. It had been the last truly happy night she'd had. Everything had effectively fallen apart in her life after that. She tried hard not to think at these days. She felt herself in a haze, merely existing, instead of living. When her mother had asked her to come help take care of her great Aunt Eda's farm, Annie had seen it as an escape. Since Annie had a degree in agriculture, she had been the most likely choice. Getting away from the city, why had she never thought of that before? The city haunted her. It reminded her of everything that she had lost. It was stifling, roaming the streets of the city. She fixed her eyes on the road ahead, making sure to watch out for any obstruction or obstacles that may lay in the road ahead. She had traversed these roads so many times in the past, but had been a passenger, not a driver. Auntie Eda's farm had been a happy place. A place where she, her brother, and mother would come in the summer. Her father had never made it out to Auntie Eda's farm. Now, she supposed, he never would. His view on the world would be from behind metal bars. It was better than what he deserved in her opinion.

He had used and abused so many people in his rise to the top. His downfall had been swift, with very few people standing next to him. He had embezzled millions from his company, to spend on his mistress. When his cover was about to be blown, he left the country with his mistress, leaving her mother devastated and penniless. She could vividly remember the day that her mother had called her sobbing on the phone. She had rushed to her mother's side, and helped her get back on her feet. Annie had always been the one to pick up the pieces. Her shiftless brother was never around. He was too busy getting high and wasting his life away. So it fell to Annie. What angered her even more, was her father coming back into her mother's life after his mistress had swindled him out of all his money. Her mother, ever the dutiful wife, had willingly taken him back, and spent most of her hard earned money on a lawyer for him. She didn't understand her mother. And she hated her father. When her mother had called asked her for a favor, Annie had almost hung up on her, until she had heard Eda's name. She wasn't doing this for her mother, she was doing it for her Auntie. What she was really doing, was running away. Running away from all the pain and disappointment that was behind her in the city.

She pulled into the farmyard and memories of better times flooded her head. She couldn't help but smile as she thought of running through the mountain trails with her brother, as her mother and Auntie Eda followed just behind them. Auntie Eda would usually have a picnic basket in her hand. It had been a while since she had been here, and there wasn't much that had changed. It was refreshing in a way. The door to the small house opened, and Annie saw the small frame of her Auntie in the doorway. The sight of her caught Annie by surprise. Eda who had always been a spry older woman, looked frail and weak. Guilt flooded her. She should have come out here sooner. She should have visited more often as an adult.

Annie stepped out of the car in the pouring rain. She grabbed her small bag out of the front seat, and made a dash for the door. She was soaked all the same by the time she made it inside.

"My goodness dear!" Eda exclaimed. "Look at you all drenched!"

"Hi Auntie," Annie greeted. "I would hug you but..." she trailed off and looked down at her clothes that clung to her skin. Eda chuckled and surprised Annie by embracing her anyway.

"I haven't seen you for a while, I'm not letting a little water come between us!" Eda exclaimed. Annie chuckled. It had been a while since she laughed so hard. "Well my dear, I have an apartment prepared for you over the garage put back, but considering the rain, you should stay in here."

"Auntie, you didn't have to make a separate place for me to stay," Annie stated.

"Nonsense!" Eda insisted. "You don't need some old lady meddling around in your affairs." Annie smiled. It was just like Eda to be thoughtful like that. "Now the bathroom is that way, you get yourself a warm shower before you catch a cold! I'll get the couch bed ready for you." Annie chuckled and made her way to the bathroom.

XxXxXx

"Granny!" A loud voice woke Annie from her sleep. The shout was followed by a barrage of knocks. Annie woke up feeling a bit disoriented, until she remembered she was at her Auntie's farm. She stretched out lazily, and glanced at the clock on the wall. Who was coming over at six thirty in the morning? She heard Eda open the door.

"Fritz, shush child, my great-niece is still sleeping," Eda whispered.

"Oh I fergot she was coming last night!" Fritz said. He wasn't speaking much quieter than he had before. Eda shushed him again. Annie shook her head and made her way to the bathroom. She didn't want to meet whoever Fritz was while she was still wearing her pajamas.

When she emerged from the bathroom, Eda was sitting at the table with a young looking red haired boy. He had disheveled hair and an easy smile. He stared at Annie for longer than made her feel comfortable.

"How did you sleep my dear?" Auntie Eda asked.

"Oh, I slept wonderfully," Annie replied. Fritz continued to stare at her wide eyed. Annie felt a bit self conscious as he continued to stare.

"Come meet Fritz, he helps me out quite often here on the farm," Eda replied. Annie moved to sit at the table near them. She could feel the nervous energy coming from Fritz. He was kind of adorable in that cute puppy dog kind of way. His large brown eyes locked with hers.

"Hello, I'm Annie," Annie greeted. Fritz finally looked away.

"I'm Fritz."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Annie said. He finally looked away. He was awkward to the point that it made her feel almost uncomfortable. It was clear to Annie that Fritz had spent his whole life in the country. He was nothing like the men in the city. Everything he was thinking was so clearly written on his face. He was clearly attracted to her. He wasn't doing much to hide that.

"Yer really pretty," Fritz admitted. If she had any doubts about her previous train of thought, she did not any longer. She felt herself blushing. She heard Eda chuckle.

"I hope you two become good friends," Eda said. Annie could hear the affection her Auntie felt for Fritz by the tone of her voice. "Do you mind showing my niece around town?"

"Sure!" Fritz said with a little too much excitement. Annie smiled at him as best as she could. He was certainly chipper. She enjoyed her breakfast with her Auntie and Fritz. Immediately after, Eda insisted that the two of them go on the tour of the town, Annie reluctantly agreed. She had a sneaking suspicion her Auntie was trying to play matchmaker. Fritz chatted to her enthusiastically the whole way down the path to town. He showed her all the different types of fields, and the rice paddies. He even showed her where the orchard was. When they made it into town he pointed out the general store, and town hall. He rattled off names of everyone, telling her who lived where. She was sure she wasn't going to remember most of these names. Her head was reeling with names, when Fritz said something that made her stop in her tracks.

"That's the perfumers house. Klaus, he's outta town right now," Fritz said. Her heart lurched when she heard that name. It couldn't be the same Klaus, could it? She stared at the house, thinking about that fateful night.

******FLASHBACK******

She was driving in the rain. It was dark, and she was nervous. Tonight would be the night that she finally became a woman. She had chosen Klaus, because he was older than her and more sophisticated than men her own age. Being seven years her senior, he was reluctant at first to even talk to her. Not to mention the fact that he worked for her father. She had developed a crush on Klaus when she was merely sixteen years old. She had never met anyone as handsome as him. She had finally started talking to him when she turned , it had been her father that had given her his phone number. That had been back before she thought her father was the scum of the earth. She talked and texted quite a bit with Klaus, but that was as far as he was willing to take it, for a while. It had been when she turned twenty-one that he finally agreed to start "hanging out" with her. He was always cautious around her, but she had managed to her through the barriers he had set up. She could remember the first time he had kissed her. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Sure she had been kissed before, but this kiss had been different. She had wanted more. She had managed to extract what kind of lingerie he liked out of a conversation they had one night. She had a feeling he regretted telling her instantly.

Annie smiled as she pulled into the driveway where his condo was. Her heart jumped when she saw the silvery blue Honda he drove parked in his driveway. She turned off her car, and grabbed the overnight bag she had packed. She had convinced him to let her come over. She could hear the reluctance in his voice. Annie had prepared everything. She looked at herself once again in the mirror. She barely recognized the woman she saw staring back at her. Her raven colored hair was pulled back into a loose bun. She wore a black suit coat, and underneath it she wore a black and pink corset. Her black pencil skirt, fishnet stockings, and black leather knee-high boots finished off the ensemble perfectly. She blushed. This was completely out of character for her. She took a deep breath and stepped out of her car.

Klaus answered the door wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt. When he saw Annie, his eyes widened. It was clear he had not been expecting her to show up dressed like she was. He narrowed his eyes. Then, somewhat reluctantly let her in.

"I'm not driving back home tonight," Annie said with a calmness she didn't feel. She set her overnight bag on the floor next to his couch. Klaus just nodded. She sat down next to him on the couch as he flipped through some channels. Her nervousness started to recede a bit. She stared intently at the tv, as if it were the most interesting thing she had ever seen. She felt a slight movement next to her, and before she could protest, Klaus' lips were firmly on hers. She felt a flutter in her heart as he brought one hand up to her cheek and wrapped the other one around her waist.

"You're trouble," he murmured against her lips. She returned his kisses with fervor. He pulled away from her and looked at her. There was a masculinity in his expression that made her pulse race even more. "Are you sure about this?" Annie looked at his face, even in this moment he was being caring and thoughtful. She nodded, unable to speak. It was if that one little gesture of approval was all he needed. He kissed her again, possessing her lips. Annie moaned against his lips, and pressed her body against his.

XxXxXx

Annie awoke the next morning, in bed next to Klaus. He was still sleeping. He looked adorable when he was sleeping. She quietly slipped out of his bed, and made her way to the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror. Nothing looked different, but she felt different. She laughed at herself, as if losing her virginity would change the way she looked. Annie knew that she was innocent, but she had not known the depths of which her naïveté went. She felt like a woman for the first time in her life. Klaus had been as sweet as she had imagined he would be. She quietly got ready for the day. She wished she could spend more time with Klaus, but she had an early morning meeting that she had to attend at work. She made her way back into the bedroom, and silently picked up her things. She leaned down to Klaus and gently shook him awake.

"Hey, I'm sorry but I have to go," she whispered to the half sleeping Klaus. "I'll call you later."

*********END FLASHBACK********

That had been the last time Annie had ever seen Klaus. She had only spoken with him one time since then, and he had seemed pretty angry. She sighed. She was not sure why Klaus had been so angry with her. He had accused her of using him. She wondered if he thought that because she had been a virgin. But she never had the opportunity to ask him. He had changed his number and left the city pretty quickly afterwards.

"Ya okay?" Fritz asked. Annie looked up at Fritz. He had a concerned look on his face.

"Yes, sorry, I'm a little tired," Annie lied. Fritz smiled and continued with his tour of the town. Annie listened half heartedly, hoping that this Klaus wasn't the same as the one she had known. I


	2. Chapter 2

The tour of town ended with Fritz bringing her to the restaurant. The chef, Reager was an attractive and flirtatious man. She had actually heard of him. Reager Trenton was a famous chef who had left the city and moved back home to Oak Tree Town. It had been a huge deal for a chef who had become so famous. Even now there were people who would drive the forty plus minute drive from the city to come dine at the restaurant he had opened. In person, Reager was even more charming than he had been on tv. Annie was surprised that he had given up a life of fame to come back to a place like this.

"Who's your beautiful lady friend?" Reager asked Fritz. Fritz blushed. Annie smiled at Reager.

"My name is Annie," she said. "I just moved in with Eda Gladstone, she's my great aunt."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Annie," Reager said smoothly. He held out a hand to her. Annie accepted his handshake. He smiled at her, and she could see now why he had been so popular. He certainly was easy on the eyes. She couldn't help but wonder, once again, what had made him decide to move to the country.

"Likewise," Annie replied. She settled herself onto one of the bar stools, that were placed in front of the small counter. Fritz was next to her. She could feel his nervous energy, and it made her slightly uncomfortable.

"Tell you what, since it's your first day here in town lunch is on me," Reager said.

"Thank you. "

He turned his back to them, and started making food. Annie hadn't even told him what she had wanted, but she decided that since he was offering free food, she wasn't about to argue with him. Beside her, Fritz was fidgeting. She knew he was nervous about sitting next to her at a restaurant. At some point, she knew she would have to let him down easy. He really wasn't her types

"Kid's gotta crush on you," Reager commented when Fritz excused himself to "go to the potty." Annie looked up at Reager. The expression on his face was unreadable.

"Yeah," Annie sighed.

"Fritz is a nice kid," Reager started. He looked at Annie intently. "But something tells me that he's not the type of man for you." Annie couldn't help but smile at his comment. He had her dead to rights. She wasn't the type of woman who loved easily. She had fallen for Klaus, and in the end he had hurt her. Fritz came back and sat down next to her. She continued eating with him, deciding that she would have to make it clear that she didn't have any feelings of affection for him. He did seem like a good kid, and she didn't want to hurt him.

XxXxXx

A few days later, Annie was walking into town, when an old man suddenly ran up to her. He looked rather angry, and she wasn't sure what she had done to make this old man so angry with her.

"Are you the new girl?" The old man asked.

"Y-yes," Annie answered.

"Come with me! You are late! Lady Elise needs you!" The old man grabbed her arm. Annie tried asking what she was late for, but the old man was having none of it. She struggled to keep up with him. For someone so old, he sure was fast. He brought her to a large mansion. Annie was shocked when he pushed her through a door. Inside the door was a large staircase. At the top of the staircase was a woman with long strawberry blonde hair. She was dressed elegantly. The girl looked down at Annie with a frown on her face. Annie presumed this was the Lady Elise, the old man had been talking about.

"You there," she said. "You must be the new servant, I need your help."

"I think there has been a misunderstanding-"

"Hurry up please! I don't have all day!" Annie decided it would be best not to argue and instead followed the woman. Annie figured if she did what the woman wanted, the misunderstanding could be cleared up afterwards. Annie followed her upstairs and into what appeared to be a storage room. She picked up the box Elise asked her to, and brought it downstairs. Upon coming downstairs, the old man came running up with another girl.

"Lady Elise!" He cried out. "I am so sorry! I mistook this girl for the new servant, this is in fact the new girl."

"Lady Elise!" Two other maids came running into the room. "We are sorry we weren't around to help you!"

"What are you doing in my house?" Elise asked,  
Turning to look at Annie.

"He told me to come, I tried to explain," Annie replied. Elise looked at Annie for a few moments then started to laugh.

"My goodness, you did try to explain didn't you?" Elise said. She then turned to her maids. "Well this girl was a whole lot more help than you were." The maids looked chagrined and apologized profusely to Elise. Elise ignored them and turned back to Annie. "So who are you?"

"My name is Annie, I'm Eda's great-niece," Annie replied. Elise smiled.

"Ah yes, I heard that you were coming. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm sorry we had to meet under such strange circumstances," Elise said.

"That's okay," Annie replied. "I should get going though."

"Okay, please feel free to come over again," Elise said. Annie thanked her and left.

XxXxXx

Annie was outside pulling weeds when Eda came out of the house with a basket in her hands. Eda's easy smile did very little to hide how frail she was getting. Annie was adjusting to country living. Life was much simpler here in the country, and the troubles that had plagued her in the city, felt so far away.

"Hey Auntie," Annie greeted. She stood up and stretched out. She had been working for a few hours now.

"Annie, I need you to go bring some of those flowers to a regular customer of mine," Eda informed. "He just came home from vacation. His name is Klaus, he's the perfumer." Annie felt her heart jump. She nodded in response to Eda's request. She didn't trust her voice at the moment. She tried to convince herself that Klaus was a fairly common name, and the likelihood of it being the same Klaus was slim, but it still did little to ease her worries. She gathered the flowers that Eda pointed out, and left for town. She walked slowly not wanting to be there any sooner than she had to be. Eda had given her directions, but she hadn't needed them. She remembered exactly where his house was. She was being silly and she knew it. But a part of her couldn't get rid of the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

When she arrived at the house, she stood at the door for a few seconds. She took a deep breath, then finally raised her hand to knock on the door. She waited for a moment as she heard movement from behind the door. Her heart was racing. Instead of a man, a beautiful blonde haired woman opened the door. Annie wasn't sure what to say at first, as she was not expecting a woman to answer.

"Hello," the woman greeted.

"Hi I'm Annie, I'm here to deliver these flowers to Klaus," Annie said. She was surprised that she managed to sound calm as she said this.

"Ah yes," the woman said softly. "He's in his workshop in the back of the house. My name is Iris by the way." Annie took the woman's extended hand. "Anyway I'm just leaving, have to get some work done. I'm sure Klaus will be okay with you going back there. I know he said he was waiting on those. The workshop is the last door on the left in the hallway." Iris smiled brightly, and left Annie alone in the foyer. Annie looked around the house. It was clearly a bachelor pad. While it didn't look terrible, there was no feminine touch added to the house. Annie made her way slowly down the hall. When she reached the door Iris had told her about, she stopped. Annie felt hesitant to find out for sure who was really behind the door. She could hear the person working. Annie lifted her hand and softly knocked on the door.

"Come in!" A voice said from the other side of the door. Annie's hand shook as she reached for the doorknob. She slowly turned the handle, and opened the door. The man in the room stood with his back to her. The first thing she saw was his hair. It was dark and slightly tousled. It was the same color, but the Klaus she had known was always so put together. No hair was ever out of place. But it was unmistakably Klaus. She gasped sharply, causing the man to turn around. Once she saw his face, there was no denying it. He stood for a moment looking confused. The understanding came to his face. He looked at her in shock.

"Annalise?" He asked. "What are you doing here?"


	3. Chapter 3

Klaus stared at Annie in disbelief. When he had left the city five years earlier, he was certain he would never see her again. Now she stood in the doorway of his workshop with a basket of flowers. What was Annie doing standing there? Why of all people was she here? It still stung thinking about when he had found out how she had manipulated him.

********FLASHBACK******

Klaus walked into Mr. Mason's office. He knew why his boss had summoned him. Klaus had found out Mr. Mason's biggest secret. The man had been embezzling money from the company for years. Klaus had found out by mistake. He had a feeling he was never supposed to know about the secret account. But he had spent some time looking into it. He had gathered more than enough information to bring the old man down. Mr. Mason looked up at Klaus from his desk.

"Please sit," Mr. Mason said. Klaus sat across from him. There was a tension that hung uncomfortably in the silence. Klaus knew it was Mr. Mason's way of trying to intimidate him. But he was not going to play the man's game. He waited patiently for Mr. Mason to start talking. "I know you are aware of the Zeglund account. I would like to make you an offer."

"I am not interested," Klaus said evenly. Mr. Mason's eyes narrowed. He looked at Klaus evenly.

"I am aware that you and my daughter have gotten quite close over the past few months," Mr. Mason said. "Do you think that was by mistake?"

"What?" Klaus asked.

"My little Annie, my daughter. She was merely a distraction for you," Mr. Mason sneered. "Of course her feelings for you are genuine, and I will be more than happy to continue to give you my blessing should you accept my offer." Klaus stared at the man in disbelief. Was he really using his daughter as a bargaining chip?

"No thank you Mr. Mason," Klaus replied. "You can consider this my resignation." Klaus walked out of the office and out of the building.

*******END FLASHBACK******

Annie now stood in front him, and the pain was as fresh as it had been five years earlier. He had fallen in love with Annie. She looked as beautiful as he remembered.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"I have your flower delivery," she answered.

"Annalise, what are you doing here on Oak Tree Town?" Klaus asked. Annie looked at him.

"Eda is my great aunt, she needed help on the farm," Annie explained. She cast her eyes down to the floor. She looked embarrassed. Klaus didn't care, she deserved to be embarrassed as far as he was concerned.

"You can leave the flowers on that table," Klaus said pointing to a table near the door. Annie nodded, and took the flowers she brought out of the basket. She turned to him as if she was going to say something, but instead she stayed silent. There was a look of pain in her eyes. That confused him. Why was she hurting? She was the one who had used him.

"I'll be going then," Annie replied. She turned to leave. Klaus watched her leave. Why of all the places in the world, did she have to show up in this small town? He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. Annie being here was the last thing he wanted.

XxXxXx

Annie ran out of Klaus' house as fast as she could. It was clear that he held a disdain for her after all these years. She felt the tears coming down her face, but could do nothing to stop them. The pain of seeing how much he disliked her was too much. She felt her heart breaking all over again. She wanted nothing more than to get in her car and drive away, but she knew that she couldn't leave her Auntie like that. She ran until she reached the river bordering Eda's land. She collapsed on the ground next to the river. Thankfully, Eda's house was far enough away, that she wouldn't be able to see. Annie's tears streamed down her face as she silently cried for the love she had lost.

After she finally calmed down, Annie bent down and splashed some of the river water in her face, she didn't want Eda to know that she had been crying. Annie finally made her way back to the house.

When she arrived, Fritz was there again. Annie inwardly groaned. She really did not want to be around Fritz at the moment. His perpetual cheerfulness was so opposite of what she was feeling. When he saw her, he smiled brightly.

"Hello!" Fritz greeted.

"Hi," Annie replied. She smiled at him as best as she could. She wouldn't be rude to Fritz, at least not in front of Eda.

"I was jus about to grab some lunch at Reager's wanna come?" Fritz asked.

"I don't know," Annie said. "I have quite a bit to do still."

"Nonsense!" Eda interjected. "You deserve a break. You go on now!" Annie inwardly groaned. She really was not in the mood to be around anyone at the moment, but she didn't want to make her Auntie upset. So she smiled at Fritz as best as she could.

Just as they had finished eating, Klaus walked into the restaurant, with Iris, the woman who had answered his door. Annie wondered if he was dating her. She supposed that unlike her, Klaus may have moved on. Iris was certainly beautiful, with her long blonde hair and voluptuous curves. The woman oozed sophistication. It was then that Annie recognized her. She was Iris Winston, the famous author. She was surprised at how many famous people lived in this small town. Klaus looked at Annie, then turned away. She tried not to let it bother her that he was all but ignoring her.

"Want some ice cream?" Fritz asked. "It's the best!"

"Sure," Annie sighed. She tried not to look at Klaus again.

XxXxXx

"You know that is the fifth time you've looked over at that girl," Iris said with a chuckle. Klaus looked up at his friend and scowled. Iris was too observant for her own good. "So do you know her?"

"You could say that," Klaus answered. He glanced at Annie again, who was not even paying any attention to him. She was sitting happily with Fritz. "Her father was my old boss."

"The one that went to prison?" Iris asked. Klaus nodded. He had told Iris about Mr. Mason, but not about Annie. "Is that all there is to it?"

"Yes," Klaus growled. Iris chuckled again.

"I don't believe you," Iris said. "But I will leave it alone for now." Klaus was grateful. Iris could be as stubborn as she was observant. She had become a good friend to him since he had moved.

"So any luck with that doctor friend of yours?" Klaus asked changing the subject. Iris gave him a knowing smirk to let him know she knew exactly what he was doing.

"Sadly no," Iris sighed. "Ford is just so stoic, he's nothing like Marian. But sadly I'm hopelessly in love with him." Iris gave Klaus a look. "Do you know what that is like?"

"Nope," Klaus lied. He did not want to talk about it at the moment, especially with Annie so close. Iris laughed again, but said nothing. 


	4. Chapter 4

Annie was finally able to break away from Fritz after eating lunch with him. She made up some excuse about having to visit Elise. She made her way to Margaret Farm, knowing that Fritz would be watching her. She wondered if Elise would be upset. Elise was sitting out on her front porch with a wide brimmed hat on her head. When she saw Annie she stood up and waved. Annie was relieved that Elise seemed welcoming. The first time she had encountered Elise had been unusual. Annie made her way up to the porch where Elise sat.

"Hello," Elise greeted. "I'm glad you came back!"

"Hi," Annie said. "Sorry if I am bothering you."

"Not at all," Elise said. "I'm just sitting here having some lemonade, would you like some?"

"Oh no I'm okay," Annie replied.

"Please sit."

"Okay." Annie sat in the chair next to Elise.

"You look a little tired," Elise said. Annie laughed. She was exhausted. The day had been rough. She looked at Elise, and so badly wanted to talk to someone about what was going on, but she wasn't sure if she could.

"Yeah I guess I'm just adjusting to country living still," Annie said. She decided instead to keep silent about her day. She didn't know Elise well enough to know whether or not she could trust her. Annie was cautious when it came to friendships, too many times people had stabbed her in the back.

"Yeah," Elise sighed. "I wanted to apologize again about the other day."

"Don't worry about it," Annie said. She had not been offended. In the end the whole situation had seemed humorous to her.

"Thanks," Elise said. "To be honest, I don't have very many friends. I was hoping we could become friends." Elise's frankness was refreshing. Annie found herself liking Elise more and more.

"That would be nice," Annie replied.

"Oh anyway, I'm having this party this Saturday. It's really to promote the town. There are some reporters from a big magazine, and some buyers from the city that I know, will you come?" Elise asked.

"Is it a fancy party?" Annie asked.

"Kinda," Elise said.

"I don't really have anything I could wear."

"I will find something for you!" Elise insisted.

"Okay," Annie agreed. She could use a nice distraction from Klaus. Maybe a party would be just what she needed.

XxXxXx

There was a loud knocking on Klaus' door. He looked up at the clock, and wondered who would be coming over at eight o clock at night. He briefly wondered if it was Annie. Then he shook his head and realized that it probably wouldn't be. He opened the door to see Kamil standing there with beer in his hand. It was the that he remembered that he was supposed to have met Giorgio, Marian, and Kamil earlier for poker.

"You missed poker night?" Kamil asked. "You never miss that."

"Yeah I forgot," Klaus said. Kamil looked at Klaus. Klaus could see the question in his eyes.

"You forgot?" Kamil asked. Klaus was the one who had started the poker nights as something fun to do. He had never missed a night sine it started. Seeing Annie had thrown his entire day off course. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Klaus lied. It was obvious by the look on Kamil's face that he didn't buy the lie. Kamil instead put a beer in Klaus' hand. Klaus sighed and accepted. He could use a drink after today.

"So what's really up with you?" Kamil asked. Klaus sighed. Kamil was the only person he had talked about Annie to.

"Remember that girl I told you about?" Klaus asked. "The one back in the city?"

"Yeah," Kamil said.

"Well she's here in Oak Tree Town," Klaus said. "She's living with Eda Gladstone." Klaus took a drink of the beer that Kamil had brought.

"Well shit," Kamil sighed.

"Yup," Klaus answered.

"You going to talk to her?" Kamil asked.

"No," Klaus said. "There is no more to say to her." Klaus wished that was truly the case. Truth was he wanted to talk to her. He wanted to hold her. He still felt that longing to be near her. Even today when she had been standing in his doorway, he had wanted to kiss her. Annie was the only woman who had that kind of hold on him.

"Okay," Kamil answered. "But shit that's some bad luck." Klaus couldn't agree more.

XxXxXx

Annie arrived at Elise's house the day of the party early, just as Elise requested. Annie wasn't sure what type of dress Elise would pick out for her, but she was pleasantly surprised to see that Elise had picked out something simple yet elegant. She was amused to see that Elise had picked out a black cocktail dress with pink accents. The color scheme made her blush, it brought her back to the night that she slept wit Klaus.

"What's with that look on your face?" Elise asked. Annie could hear the smirk in Elise's voice.

"I was just thinking about something that happened a long time ago," Annie admitted. Elise smiled, but didn't press her any further. For that Annie was grateful.

"You know most people are too afraid of me, or too busy sucking up to me," Elise said. "I like that you are not like that." Annie smiled at Elise and looked back at the dress. She was determined to have a good time tonight. She had spent the rest of the week trying to avoid both Klaus and Fritz, and it had been absolutely exhausting.

As the guests started filtering in, Annie started to relax a little. She was feeling slightly out of place. Among one of the first guests to arrive was Fritz. He was dressed in a suit that looked two sizes too big for him. When he saw Annie, he made a bee-line for her. She groaned inwardly. She had been trying to avoid Fritz as much as she could. It was clear that Fritz had a crush on her, and she didn't want to hurt him.

"Howdy!" Fritz greeted excitedly.

"Hello," Annie said. Fritz started talking to her about the rest of his week. Annie gave non committal answers, and sipped the champagne that one of the caterers had given her. She turned her head as the door opened again, and Klaus breezed through. He was with Iris again, and that irritated her more than it should. Was he really dating her? They were always together. She looked closer to his age than Annie was. He was dressed impeccably in a a dark gray suit. Her pulse raced, and she wondered how could he still effect her this way?

"Ya okay?" Fritz asked. Annie turned to Fritz.

"Um yeah, please excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom." She slipped away from him to compose herself.

Klaus groaned inwardly when he saw Annie. Of course she would be wearing black and pink. Memories of their night together flooded him. He had tried so hard to avoid her at first. She looked stunning sipping her champagne. Klaus heard Iris chuckle next to him.

"She looks pretty," Iris said. Klaus scowled at her. He had finally told her about his past with Annie. "I'm just saying, she is gorgeous."

"Iris," Klaus growled. He didn't want to talk about Annie right now. He had been hoping that Annie wouldn't be at the party.

"You know you could just talk to her," Iris said. "What's the worst thing that could happen?" Iris smirked at him. He rolled his eyes. But even as he made that gesture, he wanted nothing more than to talk to her. He felt pathetic.

Sometime later in the evening, when Klaus was feeling pleasantly buzzed from the alcohol, Iris leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"She's been looking over at you all night." Klaus looked at Iris. He knew she was right. Annie had been surreptitiously sneaking glances his way. It had been distracting him.

"I don't care," Klaus said.

"If you say so," Iris replied. There was a mischievous tone in her voice. Iris shrugged then moved to talk to Giorgio. He knew that was Iris' way of giving him some time in case he wanted to approach Annie. At the moment she was talking to the chef Reager. He thought about approaching her briefly, but then decided against it. What did he really have to say to her anyway?

XxXxXx

"Hello," Annie greeted Reager. Fritz had been approached by a buyer interested in buying some of his goods. Annie had taken the opportunity to approach the chef. Reager smiled at her amicably. Annie found herself thinking that a lot of girls would swoon over that smile of his. She was not one of them.

"I see you finally lost your shadow," Reager teased. Annie glared at him.

"Very funny," she sighed. She sat down next to Reager. She didn't have many friends in town yet, and the chef was someone that she could talk to. Reager patted her on the arm.

"Poor kid has no idea that your affections lay elsewhere," Reager said. Annie's head jerked towards him.

"What are you talking about?" She asked nervously. She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, but she knew there was a hitch in her voice. Reager laughed.

"It's easy to see if you take a few minutes to watch. It was as plain as the nose on your face the other day in the restaurant. And even more so tonight," Reager explained. "I mean can't say I blame you there. Klaus is a good man." Annie gasped at the mention of Klaus' name. The small sound made Reager smirk. "There's a history between you two isn't there?" Annie looked at Reager. She wasn't sure if she could trust the chef or not, but he had already figured out her secret. She would have to be more careful in the future.

"There is," Annie admitted. "Please don't tell anyone, I'd rather not have this be the gossip of the town."

"My lips are sealed," Reager said. Annie glanced over at Klaus who was with Iris. She had been by Klaus for a chunk of the night.

"Besides," Annie sighed. "It appears he's already moved on."

"With Iris?" Reager asked. "They're-"

"Annie! Reager" Fritz shouted. "That guy wants to 'sclusively buy my cheese!" Fritz came bounding up towards the two of them. Annie wanted to know what Reager was going to say about Iris and Klaus, but she didn't want to ask around Fritz. She sighed as she listed to Fritz explain the conversation with the buyer.

Annie finally made her excuses and left the party. She had made sure to do so when Fritz was in another conversation with the buyer, so he wouldn't offer to walk her home. She did not want to hear him chattering the whole way to her house. What she wanted was time to think. She hadn't talked to Klaus the entire night. She had thought about going over to him, but in the end she had chickened out. What would she say anyway? She had never imagined that night with him would be her first and last. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her cheeks. Why did he still have this effect on her? Even through her intoxication, the feelings of hurt still came through.

"Annalise?" A voice asked from behind her. There was only one person who called her by that name. She quickly wiped her tears and turned around to face Klaus. She could feel the nervousness as he walked up to her. She could tell that he was also slightly intoxicated.

"Hello Klaus," she replied. She tried to sound cold, but it came out as a whisper. She felt even more miserable. She couldn't even pretend he didn't effect her. He stood near her looking down into her eyes. Annie looked at him. The awkward tension between them was palpable. Neither one of them moved, nor broke the silence. Klaus stepped closer to her, and before Annie knew what was happening, his lips were against hers.


	5. Chapter 5

Klaus wasn't sure what he was doing. He knew somewhere in the back of his head this wasn't a good idea, but kissing her felt so right. She had looked so damned beautiful. Of all things, why did she have to wear black and pink? It was like she was teasing him. She had been shocked at first, then she had started kissing him back. Her hands reached up to his jacket collar. His tongue pressed against her lips, until they parted. He could hear her moan softly. That noise brought him back to his senses and he pulled away. He looked down into her face, it was filled with desire. It took every ounce of his willpower not to kiss her again.

"I'm sorry," he said. Annie looked down at the ground. He wished he knew what she was thinking. She looked back up at him, the look from before now replaced with something almost cold.

"Klaus," she said. "You can't just kiss me like that!"

"I know, I crossed a line," Klaus said. "I am sorry." Annie's face contorted into something almost akin to pain. He was confused. Why would she be hurt? She was the one who had used him. Unless she did have genuine feelings for him. Even if that were the case, she had used him, and he wasn't sure if he could forgive her for that.

"I have missed you," Annie confessed. She looked down at the ground again. His heart felt like it was going to explode out of chest. She had missed him? He shook his head. No, he wasn't willing to fall into her trap again.

"Annalise," Klaus said. "Don't say things like that."

"Why not?" Annie asked. "It's true." She looked up at him. Her eyes were sparkling with emotion. He wasn't sure his self control could handle this. Annie looking at him with those eyes, and he was just drunk enough to want to take her home. He wanted nothing more than to gather her up in his arms and ravish her. She looked away again. He remembered that she used to act like this a lot. He also knew that part of it was an act. She had been cunning in the way she had made him fall for her. In the end, he had not given in, and had turned her father in for his crimes. But what did she have to pretend for now? It was not as if there was anything that he had that she wanted any longer. Unless she wanted him. Was that possible? He dared not hope, because even if she did want him, he couldn't trust her. It was Annie this time who closed the gap between the two of them and kissed him. When she did, Klaus felt all of his self restraint start to crumble.

They both pulled away, breathing heavily. Annie looked up at Klaus with a look on her face that Klaus hadn't seen in quite some time. He put a little more space between himself and Annie so he would no longer be tempted.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time. Annie cast her eyes down.

"I need to be getting home," Annie said quickly. She turned around and walked away from him. Klaus watched her leave wanting nothing more than to gather her into his arms and ask her to stay. He had enough dignity to allow her to walk away without begging. He sighed. It was clear that he could no longer lie to himself. He was no where near over her. His feelings for her were just as strong as they had been that fateful night she had come to his apartment.

XxXxXx

Annie sat on the edge of her bed, unable to sleep. She had taken off the beautiful dress Elise had given her. She ran a finger over her lips as she thought about Klaus kissing her. How many nights had she longed to be in his arms? Tonight did nothing to alleviate her longing. If anything, it served to make her want him even more. She looked up at the dress that was now on a hanger. Why did it have to be black and pink? She couldn't help but wonder why Klaus had kissed her. Did he still have lingering feelings for her? She allowed a delicious sliver of hope to slip into her heart. Then she sighed. What was she thinking? They had both been buzzed, and the kiss was no doubt a mistake in his mind. She crawled into bed thinking about Klaus.

Annie woke from a fitful night of sleep. She felt herself dragging. She wanted nothing more than to sleep just a little bit longer. She groaned and got out of bed. Eda would need her help, and she certainly didn't want to disappoint her Auntie.

XxXxXx

Annie sat down at the counter of Reager's restaurant. She needed someone to talk to, but wasn't sure who. She had lost most of her friends when her father's crimes had come to  
light. The rich girls she hung out with no longer wanted to associate with her. She didn't know Reager very well, but he was the only one who had figured out that she and Klaus had a past. She leaned her cheek against her hand and sighed.

"Rough day?" Reager asked. He set down a plate of chop suey in front of her. He leaned against the counter. "Were you hung over this morning?"

"Yes," Annie admitted. She scooped up a bite of chop suey. It was delicious, just like everything else in his restaurant.

"Annie," Reager said. "You look like a woman who has something she needs to get off her chest." Annie looked up at him. She wanted so badly to trust someone. But she just wasn't sure she could. Her life had showed her that she couldn't trust people. "Look, I'll tell you something about me. I'm known as the flirt of the town. A lot of people think that I am a playboy. But the reason I came back to this town is because of a woman. A woman I have loved for many years. I am hoping to be able to win back her affections. I made mistakes when I was younger, and I didn't treat her right."

"A woman?" Annie asked. "You came back here for a woman?"

"Yes," Reager answered. He looked down at the counter. Annie could see a slight blush come over his face. Was he being honest with her? He appeared to be. Could someone blush on cue like that? "Her name is Angela Harper."

"The town nurse?" Annie asked. She was shocked. Angela had come to visit Eda just a few days ago. The woman was quiet, shy, and rather unassuming. Not that she wasn't beautiful in her own right, but Annie would have never have guessed Angela was the type of woman who would attract Reager's attention.

"Yes," Reager admitted. "She won't even give me the time of day."

"Why are you telling me this?" Annie asked.

"Because you look like you need to talk to someone," Reager replied. "That and I haven't really been able to talk to anyone in town about this. They all know her too well."

"So you told me, so I would feel more comfortable talking to you?" Annie looked at him a bit skeptically. Reager shrugged.

"We city folk have to stick together," Reager quipped. Annie couldn't help but smile at the sentiment. She knew how small towns were with their unwillingness to open themselves up to outsiders.

"How did you meet her?" Annie asked. She couldn't help but be curious.

"She was going to school for nursing in the city," Reager said. He had a look of nostalgia on his face. The emotions he was displaying appeared to be genuine. "She didn't want anything to do with me at first, and then I finally wore her down. But I was so hyper focused on my career, and I neglected her." The door opened and a customer walked in. Reager put a smile on his face and went to greet the customer who came in. Annie sat and thought about what Reager had just told her. Reager disappeared into the kitchen and she continued to eat her dinner. She normally ate dinner with Eda, but she wanted to go out that evening. Eda was wonderful, but as of late she had been pushing Annie towards hanging out with Fritz more. Annie was in no mood for Fritz' over cheery attitude after what had happened with Klaus. She sighed, unsure of what to do.

XxXxXx

"Why are you so weird today?" Iris asked Klaus. She was sitting in the chair in his workshop. Iris generally came over in the morning, saying that her best writing was done after noon. Today she hadn't come till later stating that her muse had come early in the morning, and she couldn't stop writing. Klaus looked at Iris.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Klaus replied with a shrug.

"Klaus I know you too well for you to deny that something's up," Iris said with a laugh. Klaus sighed. He knew what she was saying was correct. He turned back to his counter.

"Last night after the party, I saw Annie," Klaus started. "I called out to her, and without thinking I kissed her."

"What!?" Iris nearly screamed. "Holy shit! Well what happened after that?"

"Nothing she went home."

"You didn't stop her?"

"And just what the hell was I supposed to say to her?" Klaus asked. He turned to face Iris. The expression on Iris' face was part sympathetic part amused.

"So what does this mean?" Iris asked.

"Nothing." Klaus asserted. He had kissed Annie, and she had kissed him back. That did not mean he trusted her. He didn't know what he thought about her. His thoughts were too jumbled and his emotions were too confused. He never imagined that she would come back into his life like this.

"If you say so," Iris mused. Klaus threw her an exasperated look, that didn't didn't effect her whatsoever. Klaus couldn't help but wonder what it did mean, even as he declared that it meant nothing.

XxXxXx

"Well then," Reager said, after Annie finished telling him about Klaus and what had transpired the night before. Annie looked down at the counter, wondering if she had made the right choice by confiding in the chef. She had so badly wanted to talk to someone though.

"Yeah," Annie sighed. "And isn't he dating Iris?" She felt even more guilty about the kiss because of the other woman.

"No that is what I was trying to tell you last night," Reager replied. "They're just friends."

"Oh?" Annie asked.

"Yup, he's a free man. Has been ever since I've known him. People in town says he doesn't date, not that a few women haven't tried," Reager said. Annie looked up at Reager.

"Really?" She asked. She wasn't sure what to make of the news that Reager had just informed her of.

XxXxXx

Eda called Annie into the house after her morning chores. It had been a few days since she had seen Klaus. She had been avoiding going into town. She wasn't sure what she thought of him. The kiss had left her wanting more, but it had also brought up a lot of the old pain that she had tried so desperately to push away. Hearing Klaus had stayed single confused her. There was obviously lingering feelings for both of them, but she couldn't help but wonder if his feelings were purely physical.

"Annie, I need you to go deliver flowers to Klaus again," Eda replied. Annie's heart sank. She didn't really want to see Klaus. She put on her best smile.

"Okay," she answered. She took the bundle of flowers from Eda and left the house. She wondered if Iris was going to be there. She was half hoping Iris was there, so she wouldn't be alone with Klaus. Not that she was worried about kissing him again. She was more worried about how awkward it would be to be alone with him.

When she arrived at Klaus' house, her heart started hammering in her chest. She raised her hand to knock on the door. To her relief, Iris answered the door again.

"Hello," Iris greeted. "Come on in, I was just leaving."

"What?" Klaus asked behind her.

"Talk to you later!" Iris called to Klaus over her shoulder. She left Annie standing in Klaus' living room alone with him.


End file.
